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color combinations until you create the perfect overall hue. Look at the layers of fabric from both sides to determine which side you like best. 1 Select two contrasting silk chiffon fabrics and a contrasting embroidery thread. Play with different Prewash the fabric to ensure that it won’t shrink after it’s embroidered. To make the sheer fabric more manageable, mist it lightly with spray starch. Then hold the chiffon layers together with a temporary adhesive spray, such as 505 Spray and Fix (Sew-Craft.com). 2 Temporarily fuse the chiffon layers with adhesive spray. embroidery. Use your embroidery software to digitize a small circle or find ready-made polkadot designs online. You can find dot designs at Etsy.com/ shop/digidolls. 3 Prepare the fabric. Import small polka-dot 4 5 Prepare your embroidery machine. Using the largest hoop you have, fill the screen with the dots, spaced 3 to 4 inches apart. Insert a size 10 universal needle. Fill the bobbin with the same embroidery thread used in the needle. Embroider the chiffon layers together. Hoop a piece of wash-away stabilizer, such as Aqua Mesh (Ericas.com), and use temporary adhesive spray to adhere the layered chiffon in the hoop. Lay a piece of clear wash-away stabilizer, such as Fabric Stick and Rinse (Hoopitall.com), over the fabric surface. Embroider the dots. Rehoop and repeat until complete. Clear wash-away stabilizer Chiffon layers www. threadsmagazine.com Wash-away stabilizer AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 201 1 81 Hoop tear the stabilizer from the top of the embroidered fabric, and trim away as much of the Aqua Mesh as possible. Soak the embroidered fabric to remove the rest of the stabilizer. Allow the fabric to air dry. 6 Remove the stabilizer. Gently Photos: (p. 80) Jack Deutsch, stylist: Jessica Saal, hair and makeup: Richard Cooley/UtopiaNYC.com; (p. 81, middle left) courtesy of Jennifer Stern-Hasemann; all others, Scott Phillips. Styling credits: top—(Anthropologie.com), pants—BCBG (Macys.com), earrings—Aqua (Bloomingdales.com)